Amusement device.



PATBNTED AUG. 25.1903;

W. A. WRIGHT. AMUSEMBNT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILEUNOV. 20, 1902.

N'O MODEL.

. nu@ WIJIHW, l V///H.

ivo. 737,19@

UNITED STATES Patented August 25,

PASTENAT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. WRIGHT, OF MASONVILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- TI-IIRDTO JOHN R. MCFETRIDGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; ELIZABETHMQFETRIDGE, SAMUEL L. MCFETRIDGE, AND HORACE W. MGFETRIDGE EXEOUTORS OFSAIDl JOHN R. MOFETRIDGE, DEOEASED.

` AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

vS1911(".IlEIGA'JIION forming part of Letters PatentvNo. 737,190, datedAugust 25, 1903. Application filed November 20, 1902I SerialNo, 132,105.i (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t Mag/concern:

ful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

Myinvention consists of an amusement device embodying a basecontainingatraveling:

cable and a carriage mounted on said base and provided with meansforrgripping said carriage with said cable, said means being underthecontrol of a rider on the carriage,

' as willbe hereinafter set forth, thenovel features being pointed outin the claims.

It also consistsin'forming, the carriage of jointed parts, so that itwill yield in running around curves.

It also consists of details of construction,

as will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof pointedout in the claims.

Figure l represents aperspective view, parv A v mounts the figure N heoperates the lever K,in

tially in vertical section, of anv amusement device embodying myinvention. Y resents a vertical section on line a; or, Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a view of a portion of the device removed from the topyofthe'pa'rts shown in Fig,.1. Fig.l 4;' representsa plan view, partly inhorizontal section, of va detached portion. Figs.' 5 and 6representvertical sections, at a right angle to each other,

of detached portions of the larged scale. Y

Similar letters of referencefindicate corresponding parts in thefigures. g

Referring to the drawings, A designates a base on which is mounted thecarrier or carriage B, the floor C proper of said base having a slotorpassageD therein to permit said carriage to traverse the same. Withinythe base is the traveling cable E, to which power is communicated inany suitable manner.

device on an en- F designates a grip which is connected with thecarriage B and adapted to move to and from the cable E, it being seenthat when said grip is engaged with said cable the motion of the latteris communicated to said carriage, and when said grip is disengaged fromFig. 2 repsaid Acable the carriage is deprived of motion, andk soremains at'A rest. In order to operate the grip toward the cable, Iyemploy theplunger or rod G, which is guided in the tube or tubularcolumn H, the latter frisingfromthe carriage B and having its upper endadapted yto-beengaged bythe "cam or `eccentric head .I of the lever K,whose' axis is on said ,tube

ble, I employ the spring L, which is connect- `ed with a suitableportion of the carriage B and bears against said cable, in the presentH. In order to remove the grip from the ca- M` designates a seat, `whichin the present l case is placed as a saddle on the figure N of a horse,(or other animal or object,) said fig- `ure being secured to the tubeHand provided with straps P, as reins, which are 'passed 'through loopsQ, as martingales, 'on the lever K. f

It win now be seen that when the rider the present caseby drawingthestraps P,

whereby the head ,l depresses theplunger G n l.and couplesY theYcarriage with the cable, so jthat the Ycarriage is carried aroundtheco'urse lthrough the slotD,and thus the riding is effected.' EWhenthe lever is let go,r the -plunger is no longer-controlled bythe same,but subjected ltothe action of the spring-pressed grip F,

whereby said plunger .and lever return to their normal positions and thecarriage ceases its motion, when the rider mayv dismount.

If desired,the feet of the rider may be applied to the leverK in orderto raise the same as a means of operating the grip in lieu of thestraps- P.

In order to cause the carriage t0 run with A ease through the passage Dshould there be `any irregularity therein or should the course becircular, the side pieces ofthe frame of the carriage are formed insections which are hinged together, as a't R, and springs S are appliedto the hinges, so that the front and rear sections B will readily yieldin lateral direction while remaining guided in said passage D, it beingnoticed that the rollers or LII pilot-wheels T of the carriage aremounted on the yielding sections B', and they run on the bottom A' ofthe base A. 0n the carriage opposite to the wheels T is a roller orwheel U, thus steadying the carriage on its opposite sides. In order toprevent the carriage from bodily contacting with the walls of thepassage D, there is secured to the side of the frame thereof the foot V,which projects laterally therefrom and is adapted to form a smallcontacting-point for the carriage with the wall of the passage.

In order to ease the motion of the cable E, there is secured to thebottom A' the vertically-arranged roller W,whose side is grooved so thatsaid cable in its swaying motion may,

ride against said roller, the edect of which is evident. In order toprevent improper dropping or sagging of the cable, there is secured tothe body or frame of the carriage the curved or defiected guard X, whichextends under said cable to limit the descent of the same withoutinterfering with the motions thereof.

The lever K has a lateral sliding motion on the shaft K', which supportsit. Interposed between the head of said lever and the inner wall of thetube or column His the spring Y, whose tendency is to restore said leverto its operative position for engagement with the head of the plunger orrod G. On the periphery of the head J is an obliquely-extending rib Z,as most apparent in Figs. 5 and 6.

On the under side of the lever, adjacent to the head J, is a recess K2,it being seen that should the lever K be raised to an excessive extentand the head K depressed in accordance therewith the rib Z bears againstthe roller at the top of the rod or plunger G and causes the lever tomove laterally on the shaft K', while at the same time causingthedepression of the rod or plunger G. As the eX- cessive operation of thelever continues and said lever continues to move laterally, in thepresent case to the right, the upper end of the rod or plungerGistripped, and so cleared of the action of the head J. This permits thehead of the plunger G to ascend to the extent of the returning motion ofthe grip F. Consequently it relieves the cable E of the injuriouspressure of said grip. Then the lever is let go or relieved, whereby itdrops and brings the recess K2 to a position just above the roller ortop of the rod or plunger G, whereby as the lever is subjected to thelateral pressure of the spring Y said lever returns to its normalposition, locating the proper portion of the head J over the rod orplunger G, whereby when the lever is again operated by the rider itshead will properly depress the rod or plunger and cause the operation ofthe grip in the manner similar to that hereinbefore described.

In order to remove the figure N and substitute therefor that of anyother object' or shape, the upper portion of the tube or column I-I ismade sectional, as at II', and the lower portion of the section has averticallyextending slot Il2 therein, which is adapted to fit over thepin H3, whose ends project from the upper portion of the tube proper, H,thus coupling the sections as one, but permitting the removal of theupper section from the top figure, as plainly shown in Figs. l and G.

The shafts of the rollers U have heads or flanges U on the exteriorthereof, the same extending in vertical direction aside of the the saidrollers or wheels U and adapted for freely engaging the under side ofthe floor C, so as to prevent the carriage B from improperly rising orjumping upwardly from the tracks on which said rollers run onthe base Aduring the operation of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is 4 1. In an amusement device of thecharacter stated, a carriage, a seat thereon, a tractioncable, a grip onsaid carriage adapted to engage said cable, a plunger on said carriage,adapted to operate said grip, a guide on the carriage for said plungerand a lever mounted on a suitable member adapted to engage said plunger.

2. In an amusement device of the character stated, a carriage, agripping device thereon, a base, a traction-cable in said base, a seaton said carriage, a plunger adapted to engage said gripping device, aguide for said plunger, a lever mounted on a suitable member adapted toengage said plunger, a martingale connected with the support of saidseat with said lever, and a rein extending from said lever toward saidseat.

3. In an amusement device of the character stated, a carriage, agripping device thereon, a traction-cable, a movable piece on saidcarriage adapted to advance said grip to couple said carriage therewith,means on the carriage adapted to engage said grip and release it fromsaid cable, and a guard connected with the carriage and deflected freelyunder'said cable.

4. In an amusement device of the character stated, a carriage, atraction-cable, and a base in which said cable is operative and on whichsaid carriage is run, said base having a pas sage through which saidcarriage traverses, said carriage having its frame formed with sideswhich yield laterally.

5. In an amusement device of the character stated, a cable, a griptherefor, a plunger adapted to operate said grip, and a lever adapted tooperate said plunger, said lever being adapted to be shifted whensubjected to excessive draft and thus be removed from its path of actionon said plunger.

6. In an amusement device of the character stated, a cable, a griptherefor, a plunger adapted to operate said grip, a lever adapted tooperate said plunger, a shaft on which said lover is mounted, a rib onthc head of IOO IIO

said lever, and a spring adapted to press 8. In an amusementdevice ofthecharacter against the side of said head, said lever being stated,avioor, a slot therein, a carriage and a adapted to be shifted inlateral direction. seating on said carriage, said carriage being I5 7.In an amusement device of the character provided with a Wheel and axleand a verti- 5 stated, a carriage, a seating device forarider,yeally-arranfgd ange on saidaxle, said ange a support for said device, acable, a grip for l being adapted to engage the under side of thelatter, a plunger adapted to engage said Said Iioor on improper risingof said carriage.

grip and a lever adapted to operate said ililrxger, said supportreceiving said plunger WILLIAM A WRIGHT ro and being formed in sectionswhich are de-` Witnesses:

tachably connected and provided with means JOHN A. VVIEDERSHEIM,

vfor interlocking the same. Y C. D. MGVAY,

